Five Bosnian climbers feared dead on Russia’s Mount Elbrus

SARAJEVO, July 26 (Reuters) – Five Bosnian climbers are feared dead after being caught in a violent storm on Russia’s Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain, as Russian rescue teams continue to search for bodies.

Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said rescue teams rescued two other climbers who were evacuated from the mountain and taken to medical care.

He said the bodies of two other members of the same group were found on the mountain at an altitude of 5,350 meters (17,550 feet) and would be evacuated when weather conditions allowed. The ministry added that the search for the other three bodies, whose nationalities were not specified, continues.

Rising to 5,642 meters (18,510 feet) just north of the Georgian border, Mount Elbrus is notorious for sudden changes in weather and climbing conditions.

Bosnian media reported that the seven members of the climbing team were residents of the central town of Zenica and included a married couple and a doctor working at the local hospital.

Russian media reported that adverse weather conditions, including strong winds, complicated search and rescue operations.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic and Anton Kolodyazhnyy; Editing by Helen Popper)